Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Israeli commando forces conduct airdrops in two locations in the Damascus countryside.
Israeli media platform: Israeli army forces carry out a commando operation in the al-Kiswah area of the Damascus countryside.
Syrian media outlets: Israeli helicopters flying at low altitude over Tal Mani in the Damascus countryside.
Israeli media platform: Israeli aircraft bomb Syrian bases simultaneously with tanks entering the southern outskirts of Damascus.
Israeli media: Israeli forces infiltrated the town of Beit Jann south of Damascus, and a new airstrike hit al-Kiswah.
Syrian media: Four Israeli helicopters have touched down in the southern city of Sweida.
UN Security Council member states, excluding the United States, confirm that there is a famine in Gaza.
Syrian media: The Israeli occupation forces launch a series of airstrikes in the western Damascus countryside.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: 51 people martyred in Israeli aggression on Gaza since Wednesday morning.
Saree: Yemen will not abandon its stance in support of Gaza no matter the challenges and repercussions until the blockade imposed on the territory is lifted and the aggression it is facing is halted.

The arrest of free-speaking Christian Palestinian student Layan Nassar

  • Walid Tamtam Walid Tamtam
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 10 May 2024 14:10
  • 8 Shares
3 Min Read

This systematic repression of student voices is evident in the staggering number of students detained at Birzeit University alone, with approximately 74 students held during the 2019-2020 school year.

  • x
  • The arrest of free-speaking Christian Palestinian student Layan Nassar
    23-year-old Layan Nassar (Illustrated by Batoul Chamas; Al Mayadeen English)

Layan Nassar is a 23-year-old girl, who graduated from Birzeit University last year. She is now a nutritionist who has found herself behind bars in yet another arbitrary detention. Layan was captured from her home on April 7 at 4 am by Israeli occupation forces, and this was not the first time, as she was previously detained on July 7, 2021, and released on August 26, 2021. The occupation forces that violently stormed her family’s house offered no explanation or indication as to what charges they were making against her, or even indicate to the family where she would be held captive. It is believed that she is being held in Damon prison inside "Israel" where access is being denied to international aid organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Nasser’s arrest follows a pattern of targeting students for their activism, as highlighted by the UN panel’s declaration of the unlawful and arbitrary imprisonment of students like Layan Kayed, Ruba Assi, and Elia Abu Hijleh. This systematic repression of student voices is evident in the staggering number of students detained at Birzeit University alone, with approximately 74 students held during the 2019-2020 school year. Many young prisoners who have been taken have reported poor hygiene conditions and food quality, being denied bedding and hygiene items for women, and others. 

Related News

Regional peace with the occupation a recipe for disaster

Georges Ibrahim Abdallah: Lebanon’s lion roars the truth

The situation is further exacerbated by the use of administrative detention, which allows for prolonged imprisonment without charge or trial. This practice, criticized by Archbishop Justin Welby in his condemnation of Nasser’s most recent arrest, violates fundamental human rights and undermines the principles of justice. The archbishop’s condemnation of Nasser’s most recent detention echoes his previous criticism of "Israel’s" treatment of Palestinians, exposing the lack of accountability and disrespect for international laws. 

Around the world, prisons are made for criminals and violent outlaws. Most people around the world respect law and order and believe in accountability to whoever commits a crime. But we know that many righteous people have found themselves imprisoned, John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, Saints, and human rights activists. Layal is another beautiful person who is being punished for believing that her people have the right to express themselves and defend their dignity. Palestinians are not free, as some are in small jail cells like Layan, while others are in an open-air prison.  

As Palestinian Orthodox Christians marked the holy easter, seeking hope through their faith that one day the apartheid walls will come down, Layan Nasser continues to see her dreams behind bars. From the time she was abducted around Catholic Easter, she remains one of the many captured Palestinian prisoners this Orthodox Easter as well. 

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Mayadeen’s editorial stance.
  • Gaza Strip
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Birzeit University
  • Israel
  • Gaza genocide
  • Birzeit
  • West Bank
  • Israeli occupation
  • Gaza
  • occ
Walid Tamtam

Walid Tamtam

Writer and founder of the Bethlehem Beacon.

War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

All
Declassified: CIA’s covert Ukraine invasion plan

Declassified: CIA’s covert Ukraine invasion plan

  • Opinion
  • 16 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
Those in Occupied Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria – directly affected by Israeli occupation and apartheid – can claim their right to armed struggle under a series of UN resolutions. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Resistance and regime change in occupied Palestine

  • Opinion
  • 17 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
War on Iran

More from this writer

All
How Elon Musk became Zionist; from free speech absolutist to Zionist apologist

How Elon Musk became Zionist; from free speech absolutist to Zionist apologist

If anyone is being ‘funded’, it’s the Zionists on campus

If anyone is being ‘funded’, it’s the Zionists on campus

The plight of Palestinian Christians and the American right

The plight of Palestinian Christians and the American right

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS